Capítulo 22: A Thorn in My Way
"Finally…"
Mineah let out a sigh of relief the moment that she was out of the carriage. She almost felt like she was devoid of air for a long time, after having stayed inside the carriage with Nikolai alone after that kiss.
Against her better judgment, she sneaked glances in Nikolai's direction while the latter was talking to his Chancellor. She subconsciously touched her lips and then inwardly cursed.
The tingling sensation kept surfacing just from the mere thought of that kiss, and she couldn't understand why that was the case.
Somehow, feeling Nikolai's lips against hers felt really good to the point that she was disappointed when he first broke away.
"I'm probably a lousy kisser…" she unknowingly murmured. She honestly didn't know if she responded properly to his gentle kiss.
'No! Focus, Mineah…' she inwardly scolded herself, slightly shaking her head as if to wake herself up from a daydream. 'You can do better than this…'
Looking around, she let out a heavy sigh as she spotted the Valcrez ship looming in the distance. They had already reached Ebodia's Harbor, and she could only watch as Nikolai's men assisted her shadow maidens in carefully loading her belongings onto the vessel.
"Milady."
Mineah turned to the sound of Dani's voice. Alongside Zaila and Krisha, it would seem that her servant had something to say.
"All your things are all safely loaded inside the ship," Dani informed her.
"Good," Mineah simply nodded.
"About Niran, milady," Zaila chimed up using a special language that only her shadow maidens knew. "Have you settled on a decision?"
She blinked. Right, she almost forgot about Niran. "Tell her to wait for my arrival," she instructed. "I want to talk to her personally about this."
With her instructions said, Mineah was about to say more but she held her tongue. Nikolai was approaching her, and her three shadow maidens immediately left her side, making themselves scarce, leaving her to deal with the man alone.
She took in a deep breath as she inwardly cheered herself on, 'Focus now, Mineah. Time is ticking…'
"Ready?" Nikolai asked as he stopped in front of her.
Mineah nodded with a smile.
He had already kissed her anyway, so from now on, she shouldn't be shy around him. She put away her inhibitions as she prepared herself. It was time for her to act and make him fall in love with her by all means possible.
With that thought of self-encouragement in mind, she then intuitively grabbed Nikolai's hand, intertwining her fingers with his.
"Let's go then." Mineah hummed as she pulled him along toward the ship.
Embarking on the Valcrez's ship, the moonlight radiated beautifully against the waters as they stepped foot on the deck. Not before long, Mineah heard a loud horn which signaled that the ship was leaving the harbor for its journey back to Valcrez.
As the sound of the horn faded, the joyful sound of playing instruments filtered through the air, its dancing tune mingling with the calm wind. Fires magically lit up the whole ship, brightening their surroundings as it showed the grand main deck of the ship.
"This is…"
Mineah gasped as she stared at the main deck. Everyone present had bowed down before the both of them, and she didn't know how to respond.
"I present to you, Princess Mineah of Ebodia. Now my lawfully wedded wife and the new Queen of the Kingdom of Valcrez," Nikolai announced with an authoritative voice that carried itself across the ship. "Show her the same respect that you would all show me because she and I are now one."
"All hail the King and Queen of Valcrez!"
She stood still as they repeatedly cheered in chorus. They only stopped when Nikolai raised his hand and announced, "We will have a feast during our journey back home, so I hope everyone will enjoy and celebrate our union!"
From there, Nikolai also formally introduced her to the royal courtiers who accompanied him to the Castle of Ebodia. Mineah gave them a genuine smile even while she was at work keenly looking into their eyes to see who was sincere or not in accepting her as their Queen.
[She might bring misfortune.]
[This is unacceptable! She's not fit to be our Queen. Accepting a human Queen doesn't sit right already, and a cursed one makes it even worse!]
'This is a bad idea,' she inwardly mused.
Seeing how the majority disliked her despite the fake smiles they had on their faces, Mineah couldn't help but feel discouraged. She closed her eyes, cutting off the connection just as her knees unexpectedly wobbled beneath her.
And somehow, as she slightly swayed, Nikolai was quick to hold her steady.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
She weakly nodded. This was the first time she experienced something like this while using her left eye. She felt as if every single cell in her body was aching, not to mention how she was now trying and barely able to catch her breath.
"The Queen looks pale. It's probably because she's exhausted," Alexa noted. "You should let her rest first, Your Majesty."
Mineah bit her inner cheek, she was doing her best to avoid making eye contact with all of the people currently looking at her. She had overused her inner energy reading through the thoughts from one person to another without pause.
She inwardly cursed at her carelessness. This incident would surely give a worse impression on the Valcrezians that had witnessed it. They already thought she wasn't fit to be their queen, and now this…
"I'm fine," Mineah smiled as she composed herself before them.
Nikolai frowned clearly displeased with something, but he didn't say a word. Instead, he turned to everyone and said, "Valcrez will have a royal feast for ten days. Announce it to all that will hear your words."
Upon hearing about the royal feast, the mood in the room seemed to lighten to the point that their eyes no longer lingered on Mineah. Instead, they were all overwhelmed with the upcoming festivities.
'A royal feast,' Mineah mused as she wondered how such an event would be celebrated in Valcrez. Unfortunately, what instantly came to her mind was a bath filled with fresh blood for the vampires to feast on. Such an image was morbid enough that she suddenly felt sick in her stomach.
"Come now. I'll bring you to our cabin," Nikolai hummed as he held her closer to him. "It would be good for you to-"
"Your Majesty!"
Mineah flinched at the sudden high-pitched voice coming from behind them. Turning, she saw a woman gracefully walking towards them in an alluring black gown.
"Rosela," Nikolai greeted beside her his face devoid of any expression.
Mineah held her tongue as she watched the ensuing conversation. It was the first time she had met the woman. Clearly, she wasn't among Valcrez's delegates that accompanied Nikolai to Castle Ebodia.
To be fair, the woman was undoubtedly beautiful with her long blonde wavy hair, a pointed nose, red lips, and her eyes… The color of a sharp copper…
[A thorn in my way. Nikolai only needs her to fulfill the prophecy and nothing more. She'll be useless the moment she bears him a child. I've waited for so long, and waiting a little bit more won't do me any harm…] Rosela's thoughts filtered through Mineah's mind. [She's only a breeder, not a Queen. They didn't even perform the Coupling Rites, so she's only his wife by name. By her kingdom's law!]
"My King… My Queen…" Rosela gracefully greeted them. "This is truly a joyous occasion for us to celebrate. How about you share a drink with me and-"
"The Coupling Rites must not be delayed…" Mineah suddenly voiced out, firm and loud enough for everyone to hear and intentionally interrupting the woman before them. She then lovingly turned to Nikolai with her most seductive smile as she added, "We must complete it now, my darling husband… Lai…"
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AN: May 30, 2023
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